Elizabethtown College’s Social Work Student Association (SWSA) hosted its first annual Regional Conference for Social Work Students on Saturday, Nov. 19 in Etown’s Hoover Center for Business.
The event included social work student organizations from regional higher-ed institutions such as Millersville University and Shippensburg University and focused on the different challenges that college towns face, as well as how social work students can work together to help alleviate the impact of some of these issues.
“I believe that it’s important to have events like this because it allows future social workers to come together and bring positive change to their communities,” Etown SWSA President Emma Myers ’24 said. “We hope the conference will inspire and educate others to become more aware of social issues they have not thought of before, and how they can be the change, even if it starts with a small contribution.”
Alumna Talisa Ramos-Watts ’11, speaking to attendees at Nov. 19 luncheon.
Each school’s club gave a presentation on key issues present in their respective local community and how their individual challenges can potentially be addressed.
“SWSA got the idea for a regional conference about a year ago due to social work being an overlooked and underrepresented profession and it gives students the opportunity to share social issues that are affecting their communities,” Myers said.
The event closed with a lecture from Etown alumna and previous SWSA member, Talisa Ramos-Watts ’11. While at Etown, Ramos-Watts worked for multiple on- and off-campus organizations and founded the first Latino Student Union- Latinos Unidos.
Ramos-Watts has previously worked as a clinical trauma professional and served as the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Education for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She currently works as the Special Assistant to the Secretary in Pennsylvania’s Department of Education.
The event also presented an opportunity for students to share any questions or issues and offer support for one another.
